Buckinghamshire Council January Report pt 1

New Covid Business Grants

Local businesses severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions can apply now for part of a £12 million pot to help them over the festive season and into the new year.

Buckinghamshire Council is launching a package of support measures to help bring relief to the local economy and support hard-hit businesses at what would have been their busiest time of year.

The council is distributing up to £12 million of government funding in three ways:

• Approximately £4m will be distributed as part of the recurring support for businesses closed or severely impacted by the lockdown restrictions through the Bucks Local Restrictions Support Grant (Bucks LRSG).
• For those businesses in receipt of the Bucks LRSG the council will provide an additional Bucks December Top-Up grant up to a 100% match of the Bucks LRSG amount.
• For those businesses which are not eligible for the Bucks LRSG, but nonetheless are severely impacted, the council will offer support for December through the Bucks Additional Restrictions Grant.

In addition there is a one-off £1,000 Bucks Business Grant for wet-led pubs (pubs where more than 50% of sales come from alcohol rather than food).

Businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and processing of the applications will start on Monday 4 January.

Please do take a look at our website to see if you are eligible and to apply.

To check eligibility and to apply go to https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-support-hub/coronavirus-business-grants/

You may be eligible for the Bucks Additional Restrictions Grant if you have been heavily impacted as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions during December 2020, and have not been able to get support through the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme or the Self employed income support scheme. This is a separate ARG grant to the one that was available for Nov so you will need to apply afresh to this one if you think you are eligible.

The grant is open to applicants until 31 January 2021 at midnight.

You may be a business rates payer but it’s not essential to be eligible for this fund, but:

• your business income in December 2020 must be at least 30% less than your business income in December 2019.

You will not be eligible if:

• you are already eligible for the LRSG (closed, open or sector) from 2 December 2020.
• you are a self-employed individual already receiving support through the government’s Self Employment Income Support Scheme.

In addition, your business must:

• be based in Buckinghamshire - Milton Keynes based businesses should apply to the Milton Keynes Council for their version of this fund

The amount awarded will be determined by the number of employees in the business:–

Self employed ( Not claiming SEISS), £1,500

4 or less employees, £2,250

5 or more employees, £4,500